News Broadcasting
Ministries differ on FDI in news channels
NEW DELHI: Even as a group of ministers (GoM) deliberate on a draft of the revised uplink norms, various arms of the government differ on the issue of quantum of foreign investment in news channels uplinking from India.
As opposed to the information and broadcasting ministry, the ministries of commerce and finance feel that limiting FII investment in news ventures within the overall foreign investment cap of 26 per cent would be “restrictive.”
Rather, the finance ministry, ideally, would like the total foreign direct investment level (including FII investments) to be higher at 49 per cent.
“It would be preferable to restrict foreign direct investment (FDI) to not exceeding 49 per cent in the Indian holding companies of the applicant (news) company,” ministry of finance has observed.
Harping on similar lines, the ministry of commerce feels that capping FDI and FII investments at 26 per cent might be detrimental to foreign investments being made in India.
Reacting to a set of revised uplink norms (for news channels), inked by the I&B ministry, the commerce ministry sates, “The draft Cabinet note proposes a composite limit (FDI and FII investments) of 26 per cent, which would make the policy more restrictive.”
The finance ministry, seized with the issue of increasing FDI inflow into India, has stated that it would be preferable “not to calculate” FDI pro rata in the equity of the Indian shareholding news companies.
However, the I&B ministry seems to be obsessed with the 26 per cent limit and has argued for FII investment to be allowed within the foreign investment cap.
“The proposal to include FII/non-resident Indian investment within the overall limit of 26 per cent would not make the policy more restrictive,” the I&B ministry has countered.
It has further stated that there has been no difficulty so far in
calculating FDI on a pro rate basis in shareholding companies.
It “may not be feasible to prescribe a uniform 49 per cent shareholding (across all sectors)” as those companies may be from different sectors of the economy having different sectoral ceiling on FDI, the I&B ministry has argued.
Interestingly, the finance ministry also feels that stipulating a news venture, uplinking from India, to have a minimum of 51 per cent shareholding from Indians may be detrimental too.
Some of the public media companies like TV Today (owners of Aaj Tak and Headlines Today news channels), Zee Telefilms and Television Eighteen Ltd (the majority joint venture partner in CNBC TV 18 business channel) have made representation to the government, included in the government note, that it would be difficult for listed companies to track FII investment on a day-to-day basis.
The GoM, which is supposed to be studying the uplink and downlink policies, is still to meet on the issue. Government sources said that the process may start after the present session of Parliament adjourns sine die on 25 August.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
